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Dark Core
The Dark Core is a large Chaos Warband that has gained infamy for the past ten millennia. They are known to attack various Imperial Military Forces, Xenos armies, and even fellow Chaos Forces. This is because they are one of the rare few who worship the Renegade Chaos God, Malice. As such they see it as their duty to spread discord and destruction, fighting only the best enemies in order to appease their Dark God. Since they do not worship the other Gods of Chaos, they have little Daemons, instead forcefully binding lesser Daemons to machines, having a large number of Daemon Engines to serve them. The warband is also infamous to raiding Rogue Traders, Imperial Navy Ships and even Loyalist and Chaos Space Marine ships, adding their vessels to their growing fleet and forcing the survivors into the service of Malice. Warband History Birth of Discord The origins of the Dark Core are shrouded in mystery. Ancient records indicate that their leader, Balor, might have been a captain of the Sons of Horus, siding with the treacherous Warmaster during the Horus Heresy. Others believe he was a part of the Iron Warriors, the Night Lords or even the Alpha Legion. Whatever the case may be, during the battle of Terra, Balor became ambitious and slaughtered many leaders from both his own legion and the other traitor legions, taking command of their forces. Unlike those who followed the worshipping of Chaos Undivided, the slaves of Slaanesh who desired to have all things of pleasure, barbarians of Khorne who sought battle and blood, children of Nurgle that wished to spread plagues and disease, and disciples of Tzneetch that sought the dark knowledge of the Warp, Balor took joy in mindless discord and disaster, pure Chaos. Spreading this desire to his subordinates, he heard the voice of Malice, the rogue Chaos God. Seeing the beauty in Malice's vision, Balor swore his soul to his new god. When Horus was killed, Balor took his followers and away from the main force. Refusing to heed Abaddon's command, Balor set out on his own to spread his god's word. He later renammed his warband as Dark Core and they have traveled the wider reaches of the galaxy far more than any other Traitor Legion. Notable Campaigns *1st Black Crusade (781.M31): *'Death of Ydrin (816.M31)': *'Raid of Sortiarius (112.M32)': A daring operation, the Dark Core warband fleet launched a surprise attack on the new homeworld of the Thousand Sons, the Planet of the Sorcerers, when the Daemon Prince Magnus the Red was away. Striking swiftly, the Dark Core Marines engaged against the Thousand Sons, killing many of their Chaos Sorcerers. They raided the city, Tizca, taking much knowledge and artefacts. By the time Magnus and reinforcements had arrived, the Dark Core had fled, escaping the Daemon Primarch's rage. *'Slaughtering on Malik (299.M32)': Malik was a Hive World and the Dark Core chose to begin their raids on the planet, gathering the mutants, cultists and hive gangs to their ranks, either willingly or forcibly. The next three months they began pushing back Imperial Forces until a Black Templars Crusading Fleet arrived. The sons of Dorn engaged the warband's mortal followers and slowly exterminating them. However, this was all a trap as the warband wanted to lure in a Space Marine force to plunder their ships. The Dark Core fleet came out from the shadow of Malik's moon and struck at the Black Templars' fleet. Boarding vessels were launched at the heretics engaged their loyalist counterpart, who were unprepared for such an ambush. Led by Balor and Lolek, the Dark Core began overruning the Black Templars, killing anyone they saw. Down on the planet, Garric launched a powerful counter against the Black Templars and their PDF allies. Though the PDF sustained substantial losses, the Black Templars were utterly massacred, their armour and weapons looted. Balor himself personally took the head of the Marshal commanding the forces. Eventually most of the ships of the Black Templars were either captured or destroyed. Satisfied, Balor recalled his forces and left with his newly acquired ships, letting Malik fall into civil war. *2nd Black Crusade (597.M32): *3rd Black Crusade (909.M32): *'Clash on Veres (511.M33)': *'Brother vs Brother (666.M33)': *4th Black Crusade (001.M34): *'Revolution on Dentus (895.M35)': *5th Black Crusade (723.M36): *'Age of Apostasy (M36)': The era known as the Age of Apostasy was one of the greatest times for the Dark Core. As a warband who reveled in anarchy and discord, the multiple warp storms and corruption running amok across the Imperium was a paradise for them. The warband headed to numerous worlds, raising revolutions and uprisings across planets, performing raids against defenseless cities and confused fleets, taking what they wanted including numerous prisoners and future recruits. Many Imperial Forces, even Space Marine Chapters, suffered heavy losses from the Dark Core's hit and run tactics. **'Facing the Zeros': *6th Black Crusade (901.M36): *7th Black Crusade (811.M37): *8th Black Crusade (999.M37): *9th Black Crusade (537.M38): *10th Black Crusade (001.M39): *11th Black Crusade (301.M39): *'Raid on Eidolon (222.M40)': *12th Black Crusade (139.M41): *'Warmaster Assassination (307.M41)': *'Invasion of the Poran Sector (733.M41)': *'Slaughter on Solomon (998.M41)': For several decades, Balor has heard rumors of an elite Grey Knight team, the Slayer Squad, under the command of an Inquisitor Maverus Issolux, hunting down Daemon Princes, preventing their summoning or creation. From there Balor saw an ingenious plan: If he could kill the squad, not only could he offer the Grey Knights to Malice, but send their ship back to Titan, filled with Dark Core forces and wipe out the homeworld of the infamous Adeptus Astartes chapter. To do so, Balor sent information of a Thousand Sons Chaos Warband on the Dead World Solomon, planning to bring forth the Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red. At the same time, Balor had Korwalk manipulate the warp to bring forth the Ork Warband under Warlord Zhurgrazak Madcrusha, the idea of gaining to loot of the Grey Knights would entice Da Big Collecta. The plan worked perfectly: When the Slayer Squad arrived, they were caught surprised by the large presence of the Orks. Several Grey Knights were killed before the Dark Core made their move, slaughtering more Astartes and wiping out many Orks. Balor himself killed Maverus, burning off his face with his Lightning Claw, Hell Claw. As Balor planned, some of the survivors managed to retreat to their Escort Ship, Silent Dagger, with a secret force of Dark Core Terminators under Specter Jinath. Unfortunately before the ship could arrive to Titan, Jinath and his warriors were all killed, though they managed to slaughter the rest of the Slayer Squad save for one. Despite that, the death of several Grey Knights and a Lord Inquisitor was victory enough for the Dark Core, as well as thousands of Orks. *13th Black Crusade (999.M41): Organization While not fully clear yet, the command structure of the Dark Core Warband is that it is led fully by Balor the Anarchist. Underneath him are the Harbingers, the Champions of Malice. The warband is separated into several smaller forces called Brigades. Each Brigade is commanded by a Harbinger, faithful Chaos Space Marines who are loyal to Balor and are the Chaos Champions of Malice. The Brigades consist of Chaos Space Marines, Cultists, Renegade Knights, Daemon Engines, Renegade Guardsman, Pirates, Chaos Ogryns, Hereteks and so forth. The size of the Brigades seem to vary, depending on infantry, vehicles and ships. The Brigades are rarely seen together, performing various operations across the galaxy for the warband in Malice's name. They can only be summoned by the Overlord, Balor, and refusal usually leads to a terrible punishment. Ranks Command *'Overlord': The Overlord is the Chaos Lord and leader of the Dark Core Warband. This position is held by Balor the Anarchist, the founder of the warband and Champion of Malice. His word is absolute and those who defy him are met with death or worse. He alone is allow the bear the marking of Malice's sacred number on his flesh. *'Harbingers': Amongst the warband, there are those who earn favor from the Renegade God, proving their devotion by spreading even more turmoil and destruction than their traitor brothers. These individuals are called the Harbingers, Champions of Chaos that serve Balor as his most trusted officers and are a part of the warbands inner circle. Each Harbinger act as just like a Captain of Loyalist Space Marine Chapters, taking command of what are called Brigades, groups of Chaos Space Marines in the warband, as well as other forces. And as recognition of their deep devotion to their god, the Harbingers are permitted to paint the number Eleven on their left shoulder plates, the sacred number of Malice. Some members also carry out other duties for the warband. *'Specters': The name for Aspiring Champions among the Dark Core's warriors, the Specters are veteran warriors, having experienced centuries of battles against countless foes. They lead the squads of the warband's forces, acting as field officers or Sergeants of Loyalist Space Marine Chapters. Those who are Specters have the highest chance of becoming Harbingers, usually through issuing challenges of death matches, proving their worth through the actions, or murdering existing Harbingers. Specialist *'Null Knights': Also called Null Marines, Null Knights are the elite mortals who have dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to Malice's course towards total anarchy and infighting. They are set apart from the rest of the warband however by a bisected skull helmet to honor their patron god. Null Knights are normally equipped with bolters and melee weapons, they prefer the use of those that can cause significant collateral damage. This includes explosives such as grenade and missile launchers. Because of their great devotion to Malice, the Null Knights act outside the Dark Core's command structure. *'Sorcerers': *'Warpsmiths': Highly valued, Warpsmiths are used by the Dark Core in the creation of Daemon Engines, which the warband use heavily for battle. Along with that, they maintain much of the Dark Core's armada, alongside Hereteks, corrupt Servitors and slaves. *'Master of Possession': *'Lord Discordant': *'Dark Shields': The Dark Shields are a retinue of Chosen that serve as Balor's personal bodyguards and enforcers of his will. The Dark Shields zealously protect their lord when he is in battle, as well as from would-be assassins and possible usurpers. Their loyalty obvious, the Dark Guards would gladly give their lives for Balor, in order to protect the greatest worshipers of their Dark God. They are all armed with the best armor and weapons, looted and/or crafted by the warband's Warpsmiths and Hereteks. *'Heresiarchs': Another specialist group unique to the Warband, Heresiarchs are Heretic Marines who serve similar to Dark Apostles. They are dispatched to various worlds and convert the populace to the worship of Malice. Like Genestealers, the Heresiarchs will gather large groups of cults for years, slowly increasing their ranks until the time comes to strike back at the Imperial forces, raising their armies to keep them focused while the Dark Core armada strikes. *'Doomed Ones': Infantry *'Chaos Space Marines': The backbone of the Warband's forces, the Chaos Space Marines are hardened warriors dedicated to Malice, having thought in hundreds of battles against many foes. They are equipped with a diversity of weapons, such as Bolters, Flamers, Meltaguns, Plasma Guns, Chainswords, Chainaxes, Power Fists, Power Swords, Power Axes, Bolt Pistols and Plasma Pistols. They are led by Specters, the warband's Chaos Champions *'Chosen': Battle-harden Veterans, the Chosen have fought in thousands of battles and are the elites of the warband. They equip themselves with various weapons, some daemon forge, and are either commanded by a Specter or even a Harbinger. *'Havocs': *'Raptors': *'Bikers': *'Terminators': *'Warp Talons': *'Obliterators': *'Mutilators': Heretic Units *'Chaos Cultists': The humans who have fallen to worship of Chaos form the bulk of the Heretics, known as Cultists. Most of these cultists are part of the Apocalypts, while others were once ordinary civilians come from various worlds, Feral Worlds, Hive Worlds and so forth and with different backgrounds. For the Dark Core, the cultists serve as a vital component for their tactics. Through the use of their sorcerers and infiltrators, the Dark Core raise chaos cults in the name of Malice. They then began causing uprisings, which are then reinforced by the Dark Core Chaos Space Marines. Afterwards, the cultists are taken aboard the warband armada to be used as auxiliary troopers or sometimes turned into new Chaos Space Marines. Despite the important role they play in the beginning, cultists are considered no more than cannon fodder. *'Traitor Guardsmen': There have been many times over the millennia when the Dark Core will attack unsuspecting Imperial Forces. These Guardsmen will at first fight like all other servants of the Emperor, but as the warband begins to prevail, some see the hopelessness in fighting back. Giving in, these traitors will turn on their former comrades and commanders, joining the Dark Core. *'Chaos Ogryn': *'Dark Disciple': *'Hive Mutants': *'Death Cults': *'Beastmen': An Abhuman mutant strain, the Dark Core have a large number of Beastmen in their service. Seen as the favored mortal followers of Malice, Beastmen are treated with a degree of respect by the Chaos Space Marines. They are given better weapons than cultists and other mutants. Among the beastmen include a number of Minotaurs in their ranks. *'Hereteks': Chaos Vehicles *'Dreadnought Helbrutes': *'Ferrum Infernus Chaos Dreadnoughts': *'Chaos Contemptor Dreadnought': *'Chaos Predator': *'Chaos Rhino': *'Chaos Vindicator': *'Chaos Spartan Assault Tank': *'Infernal Relic Predator': *'Sicaran Battle Tanks': *'Fellblades': *'Glaives': *'Decimators': *'Typhon Heavy Siege Tank': *'Chaos Land Raider': *'Chaos Land Raider Proteus': *'Infernal Relic Land Raider Achilles': *'Abhorrent-Class Knight': *'War Dogs': *'Knight Despoiler': *'Knight Desecrator': *'Kight Rampager': *'Knight Tyrant': Chaos Aircrafts *'Hell Blades': *'Hell Talons': *'Harbingers': *'Thunderhawk Gunship': *'Storm Eagles': *'Fire Raptors': *'Stormbird': *'Swiftdeath Fighter': *'Doomfire Bomber': Daemons of Malice *'Guardians of Contradicitions': The Greater Daemons of Malice, the Guardians are equipped with numerous gears and weapons to overcome their small numbers, including the dangerous Etherblades, volatile and possesses an aura of un-Chaos that dissipates any chaotic influences before slicing a daemon in two. The nature of the Guardians is to reverse the nature of whichever Daemon it faces. Guardians stand from the rear and forming battle plans and strategic actions against their foes. *'Maidens of Malal': *'Hook Horrors': *'Pandemonic Paradoxes of Malal': *'Limbo-Ticks of the Anti-God': *'Nightmares': *'Parasite Riders': Daemon Engines *'Decimator': *'Death Wheel': *'Deflier': *'Forgefiend': *'Heldrake': *'Helstalker': *'Maulerfiend': *'Soul Grinder': *'Venomcrawler': *'Wire Wolf': Malice Daemon Engines *'War Tyrant': A Daemon Engine created in the service of Malice, the War Tyrant is a massive amalgamation of corrupted machinery and daemonic flesh. Standing on two legs that either one or both can be made of metal, its left arm is replaced with a four-barreled cannon called the Hellblaster that can either fire a beam of warp energy or a salvo of Infernal Rockets. Attached to the right arm is a wicked single-edge blade called the Infernus Blade, capable of releasing arcs of warp fire. *'Mind Spider': *'Skull Howler': *'Gore Corruptor': *'Forge Reaver': *'Abyssal Flame': *'Infernal Sentinel': Traitor Titans *'Feral Warhound-Class Titan': *'Ravager-Class Titan': *'Warlord-Class Titan': *'Imperator-Class Titan': The warband only has one Imperator-Class Titan, it and its crew corrupted by Chaos. They unleash it only when there are no other options. Its warp-corrupted weapons leave devastation upon the warband's foes and leave nothing standing in its wake. Combat Doctrine The Dark Core have two styles of combat. The first one is to sow anarchy onto worlds that are nearing the brink of war or plant the seeds of conflict into the populace. The warband's sorcerers use their dark magic in conjunction with infiltrated cultists and mortal followers to create turmoil and fights among the victim planet. They will arm those who fall under they sway while bringing them to worship Malice. Once the planet is ripe, the Dark Core's agents will initiate war and drive the planet into self-destruction. The warband will then make planetside and assist in the carnage, taking what spoils they can find as well as new blood for their forces. For the second is for direct combat. The Dark Core leans towards fast and rapid assault, delivering swift and devastating strikes on their enemies. Whether in space or planetside, against one foe or numerous, the weak or strong, the Dark Core will attack without warning. Sometimes they will strike and fall back to attack again, or delivering the killing blow right away. On the ground, they will dispatch fast moving forces, followed by their heavy artillery and vehicles, with drop pods landing in enemy territory to make the foes run in confusion. In space, they will pop out of nowhere to strike their targets, crippling them before launching boarding parties to take what they want and kill the rest. For raiding operations, the Dark Core focus on swift attacks, with hit and runs on their foes. They strike down valuable targets and when falling back, they draw in the enemies to finish them off. The warband especially makes use of artillery strikes that will cause large collaterial damage and causalities, affecting the psychological state of the defenders. Squads with explosive and heavy weapons will march forward without fear, firing their weapons to cause untold damage, taking delight in the destruction and the fear and confusion in the eyes of their victims. This will be backed up by fast moving forces like Bike Squads and Raptors, striking at close combat while the defenders are trying to sort themselves. The warband also makes heavy use of Daemon Engines of Chaos Undivided, and sometimes, forcefully, those aligned to the Four Chaos Gods. They use these abominable war machines to sow terror and destruction upon their enemies, providing support for their troops. Along with that, they have a large collection of vehicles, now possessed by Daemons too and directed with macabre idols of worship to Malice. These daemons bring forth pure chaos upon the battlefield, sending the enemies reeling in terror and confusion. Beliefs For the Dark Core, all they desire is total discord, to spread lawlessness and anarchy throughout the galaxy. To them, the very thought of law and order is an affront to their Dark God, Malice. Whether directly or in-directly, the warband has sworn to ensure that every world is consumed in total devastation. Whether they are Imperials, Taus, Eldars, Orks, Necron, or Tyranids, the Dark Core will not stop until law is destroyed and anarchy takes it place. In order to do so, they focus on worlds where conflict already exists, or where tension is slowly rising. They relish at the chance to break the dam of order and peace, flooding the planet in total turmoil. Not even the forces of Chaos are spared by their vendetta. While it is not uncommon for different Chaos warbands to fight one another, the Dark Core deliberately fight against other Chaos Space Marines, just as Malice opposes the other Chaos Gods. Also, like their god who feeds off the powers of the other Dark Gods like a parasite, the Dark Core are opportunists, using any advantage they can find to win a battle. When both sides are exhausted and weak, the Dark Core will strike without warning, slaughtering both sides with gleeful delight. Another fact about the warband is that they completely remove all memories of their past. For them, who they were or where they came from no longer matters. Only the here and now is of importance to the Dark Core, and bringing ever glory to their god. In their view, by becoming a servant of Malice, their origins are merely another form of Order, that which binds them to a state of compliance and restrictions. One must be free of all restraints in order to truly serve Chaos, with only the minimal of structure to keep the warband alive. Strangely enough, there is a average amount of comadrie among the Chaos Space Marines of the Warband. While they show no respect towards their mortal servants, the Dark Core Marines do not often cause dispute among themselves. Not even the Harbingers battle one another for power or try to plot against Balor. The Overlord himself also shows respect towards subordinates who have earned it or served with him back during the Great Crusade. Notable Dark Core Chaos Space Marines *'Overlord Balor the Anarchist': The founder and lord of the Dark Core warband, and a champion of Malice. Once a Captain from one of the Traitor Legions (speculated to be Black Legion, Alpha Legion or Night Lords), Balor left out on his own after the death of Warmaster Horus. Ignoring the squabbling of his fellow Captains, Balor and his company, along with a few others, ventured out to find their destiny. Eventually they fell under the worship of the Renegade Chaos God. Now he leads his ever growing warband on a path of destruction and death, battling anyone in his path, whether they be Human, Tau, Eldar, Ork, Necron, Tyranid or even fellow Chaos Forces. Whether directly or indirectly, Balor is determined to fill the galaxy with lawless, indiscriminate battles, all in Malice's name. And while some of his plans also aid the other Chaos Gods, Balor knows that those victories will still satisfy his Renegade God, as Malice feeds off the growing power of his fellow Chaos Gods. An Astarte of impressive height, Balor wears an Artificer Armor called the Fell Armor ''with a Jump Pack, forged by his Warpsmith and Hereteks, and blessed by several Chaos Sorcerers. The Jump Pack is capable of disappearing and reappearing on Balor at his will. Integrated into the chest piece of the armor is a skull, which is said to be the skull of Horus, first Warmaster, taken from his corpse after he was killed by the Emperor. It releases a black mist-like substance around Balor that protects him from nearly anything. For weapons, Balor wields the ''Hell Claw, a daemonic Lightning Claw that has an augmented Volkite Caliver built into it on his left arm and retractable claws. From this it can release powerful bolts or beams of thermal energy made from Warp Fire that can tear through Terminator Armour, or heat up the claws to high levels. He also carries the Mad Soul, an ancient Daemonic weapon in the form of a spiked mace. This dark weapon can control gravity, attracting and repelling objects and people. The gravitational energy around the mace also delivers powerful shockwaves that could stun or kill a person. *'Harbinger Lolek the Turmoil': The Chaos Champion Lolek has served Balor since the Great Crusade. Once a Sergeant under the then Captain, Lolek the Turmoil joined the rest of the legion into the grasp of Chaos with their Primarch. When Horus was killed, Lolek followed Balor into the service of Malice without question. Since then, Lolek has served as the Dark Core's second, commanding the warband in Balor's name. Along with a wielding a Reaper Tongue's Plasma Pistol, Lolek also carries the Soulshredder a Daemon Weapon in the form of a Chainaxe. This dark weapon not only cuts flesh and armor, but the very soul of Lolek's victims too. He has recently become a rival of Olar Faux, Commander of the Zero Legion's 3rd Division. *'Harbinger Garric the Behemoth': One of the oldest members of the Dark Core, Garric is one of the warband's Harbingers, and leads one of the warband's Brigade. Earning his title due to being taller than most of his brothers, nearly reaching the height of a Dreadnought, Garric has been with Balor since the beginning, and served under the latter during their days as a part of the Sons of Horus Legion. Silent and deadly, Garric wears a modified Terminator Armor to suit his massive stature, and wields a Reaper Autocannon in one arm, while in the other is a Chainfist. Garric's loyalty to Balor is unquestionable, having once saved the Chaos Lord's life. *'Harbinger Tyros of the Dark Forge': The Master Warpsmith of the Dark Core, Tyros is one of the Harbingers. He has built and modified many of the warband's weapons, as well as commands the other Warpsmiths and Hereteks, as well as in charge of turning captured Daemons into Daemon Engines. Tyros desires to build numerous weapons and machines of war, before setting them loose onto the galaxy in order to watch their performance. However, after he will merely break them apart and rebuild them with different designs, and test them out again. The reason is that Tyros' ultimate goal is to simply build the designs he sees within his twisted mind, and bring his machinations into reality. He is also a collector of Xeno technology, particular that of Necron and Eldar. Tyros wears a Power Armor he himself built, along with wielding a double-sided Power Axe and a Conversion Beamer he looted from a slain Chief Techmarine of an unknown chapter. Along with those, he also has the Mechatendrils, the signature tool of all Warpsmiths. His is equipped with several claws and buzzsaws, as well as a Flamer, Bolter and Meltagun. And finally, Tyros is always seen with a creature he calls, Brytralik, a Warp-entity that Tyros himself created. It appears as a silver creature in the shape of an apparatus with six extendable tendrils with pincer claws at the tips. The creature can attached itself to Tyros' back, digging into his flesh, and uses its tendrils to protect and fight alongside its master. The tendrils are strong enough to lift up objects with five times the mass, and can impale even Terminator Armor. He is normally accompanied by a squad of Obliterators and Daemon Enginers. *'Harbinger Korwalk the Disaster': The warbands primary Chaos Sorcerer, Korwalk is a powerful user of the Warp, focusing the chaotic energy to create discord and disasters among his enemies. When not unleashing powerful warp energy on the battlefield, he and his cabal manipulate unsuspecting foes and victims when advancing the warband's desire for turmoil and destruction among worlds. He utilizes a daemon weapon in the form of a staff called Malum, that contains a powerful demon inside. The staff amplifies his powers and allow him to manipulate the terrain and the very forces of nature to his whim. *'Harbinger Kokabiel the Soulless Angel': The Harbinger known as Kokabiel comes from unique origins. Not from any of the Traitor Legions, Kokabiel originated from the First Legion, the Dark Angels. He fought in the Great Crusade even before Primarch Lion El'Jonson was found. However, he fell under the influence of Chaos and followed the 'Arch-Betrayer' Luther against his former brothers, thus becoming one of the Fallen Angels. The unexpected Warp Storm had, like the other Fallen, sent Kokabiel far away from Caliban when it was destroyed and away from the vengeful loyalists. Three centuries after the Horus Heresy, Kokabiel was discovered by the Dark Core, alone, confused and without a reason to live. Seeing a potential assest, Balor manipulated Kokabiel into joining the warband and swearing fealty to the Renegade God, Malice. In his despair, Kokabiel did so willingly, and eventually rose up the Dark Core's ranks. He now leads Balor's personal guard, the Dark Shields. Wielding a Plasma Gun, Kokabiel's Power Sword that he carried during his time as a Dark Angel was altered by Tyros, now infused with Warp Fire. *'Harbinger Nagurin the Bloody Vulture': A Chaos Space Marine Raptor, Nagurin enjoys leaping from the skies upon his victims and foes, seeing their faces contorted from shock to horror as he rips through their bodies. He leads the warband's Raptors, as well as the Warp Talons, and is usually the first into any battle or raiding. Strangely his body is covered in a black mist that seems to block most attacks, acting as a shield for Nagurin. For wargear, he wields a pair of Lightning Claws that are covered in an acidic poison that can melt through even master-crafted or warp-tainted armor. *'Harbinger Yren the Convertor': Once a Chaplain of the Word Bearer Legion, Yren joined the Dark Core sometime after the 1st Black Crusade, becoming the first Dark Apostle or Heresiarch of Malice. He became convinced that worshipping Malice was the same as worshipping Chaos Undivided: Malice represented the true nature of the Ruinous Powers. It is his duty to 'convert' the prisoners of the Dark Core into the service of Malice, usually through torture. In battle he wields a Combi-Plasma Gun and the signature Accursed Crozius that all Dark Apostles carry. Yren also leads the Heresiarchs, the spiritual heretical warriors of the Dark Core. *'Harbinger Movax the Death Raider': The warband's greatest Chaos Biker Champion, Movax moves about looking for new prey. Movax is usually at the front at the battle, crashing into defensive positions and sowing terror among the defenders with his Brigade. He especially loves clashing with Loyalist Bike Squads, taking the heads of their leaders. His personal bike is adorned with twin-linked bolters and retractable blades that when they lash out, cut down anything or anyone in his path. Along with a chainsword, Movax also carries a rare Grav-Pistol. *'Harbinger Quinzec of the Shifting Menace': A unique Possessed Marine, Quinzec was once a sergeant of the Sons of Horus when he sided with his Primarch. Sometime during the Siege of Terra, he gave his body to an unknown Daemon who was a servant of Malice. This Daemon allowed Quinzec to keep his conscious and he eventually became a Possessed Chaos Champion. Quinzec can change his the shape of his arms to form various wicked weapons, or cause warp infused bones to stick out from his armor. *'Harbinger Jorel the Eradicator': Jorel is the Chaos Champion whose Brigade excels at heavy firepower. A Havoc Champion, Jorel leads either from the front or the rear, directing his followers on where they can deliver the most devastation. Accompanied by his own Havoc Squad and numerous Cultists, as well as a Maulerfiend, Jorel lays waste to all in front him. His favorite weapon is a Missile Launcher, that fires specialize projectiles that when explode, release warp fire and several small cluster bombs at the same time. *'Harbinger Dalthar the Twisted Spinner': Once an Apothecary, many of the warband fear should they run into Dalthar. A researcher of the biology of various races, Dalthar stalks the battlefield searching for new research material, living or dead. When not in battle, he keeps to himself aboard his secret laboratorium, assissted by corrupted Servitors as he experiments. In combat, Dalthar carries a Power Axe and a Narthecium on his right arm. Finally, he uses the Farbe, a pistol of archeotech or other ancient origins. This pistol has firepower equal to a Bolt Pistol, but fires bullets filled with various chemicals made from organic samples that Dalthar 'feeds' to it. His Brigade is currently hunting down the Clone Lord, Fabius Bile. Dalthar and Balor wish to make use of the infamous Apothecary's talents for their own. *'Harbinger Abanok the Puppet Master': One of the warband's strongest sorcerers, the Master of Possession Abanok takes command of the Possessed of the Dark Core. He prefers to use human puppets to instill disorder into a planet's government or using prisoners and having them possessed by Daemons to act as cannon fodder in battle. When capturing loyalist Space Marines, those who choose not to join in the service of Malice are left to Abanok to become Possessed Marines, ripping out their souls in the process. Sometimes Abanok will work with Tyros when creating new Daemon Engines. For his wargear, Abanok wields the Soul Bind, a Daemon Weapon in the form of a Force Staff with a lantern shape top that releases greenish flames. This artefact helps Abanok control the weak minded from a distance, controlling their actions, seeing their memories or driving them mad with nightmares. *'Harbinger Elagon the Butcher': Elagon was once a loyalist of the proud Blood Angels during the early 36th Millennium. During the Age of Apostasy, Elagon and his battle-brothers had finished quelling another uprising when they were returning to Baal when they were caught in a Warp Storm. The constant flux of Warp Storms had happened recently during that age, and this one brought forth the Dark Core. Boarding the Blood Angel Strike Cruiser. When Balor struck down the Company Captain, Elagon suffered from one of chapter's curses, the Black Rage. Visions of Primarch Sanguinius facing Horus filled his mind and Elagon succumbed to wanton madness. He struck at anyone near him, friend and foe alike. Rather than being shocked or angered this mad warrior, Balor was amused and intrigued. After sometime, his followers were able to capture Elagon and brought him aboard his fleet. Through Chaos Sorcerery and torture, Elagon was brought to heel, trapped in a state of tranquil fury. He now serves as a powerful shock trooper, leading other Dark Core Astartes into battle as a Chaos Champion. Armed with a Chainsword and Bolter, Elagon does not speak anymore, save for the occasional growl. *'Harbinger Varron of the Wild Stampede': A well known Harbinger, the Lord Discordant Varron of the Wild Stampede leads the many Daemon Engine riders of the Dark Core into battle. He has gain nortoriety for leading his Brigade into the thick of battle, crushing down anyone in his path under his personal Helstaker, Rugore, armed with an Autocannon and Techno-Virus Injector. Varron's Impaler Chainglave, Infero Spark, possesses a unique power that it causes anything it cuts to combust in a torrent of flames. Recently, Varron has gone to challenging various Tyranid Strains against Rugore. One of his latest battles he killed a Hive Tyrant, taking its head as a trophy. *'Harbinger Zyneus of the Deadeye': Once a Scout Sergeant of the Raven Guard, Zyneus was left for dead by his brothers during the 33rd Millennium and captured by Dark Eldar. Decades of torture had broken Zyneus, leaving only a cold killer with no mercy or pity. When the same Kabal holding him was attacked by the Dark Core, Zyneus broke from his restraints, killed the Haemonculi who had long tortured him and then slew the Archon, presenting his head to Balor. Zyneus has since served the warband as a ruthless sniper, killing leaders and instilling terrors into his victims. This trait is due to Zyneus channeling the rage from his imprisonment onto anything or anyone he sees, especially his former Battle-Brothers. He wields a Daemon Weapon called Aestuetis, which takes the form of a sniper rifle. A bolt from this weapon can melt through armour and when striking flesh, it burns the victim from the inside out. *'Harbinger Dev'gaz the Silent Hunter': *'Harbinger Rhytoth the Phantasm Conjurer': *'Harbinger Hougan the Void Menace': Hougan was an infamous Harbinger, perhaps second only to Balor in his devotion to Malice. His Brigade would strike against various fleets no matter their purpose or race. He would loot their supplies, take their crews as prisoners and add their vessels to his fleet. Hougan's action would also cause great turmoil for the nearby worlds, leaving many undefended or lacking needed supplies such as food, causing massive uprisings and fighting to happen. Eventually, Hougan met his end in 733.M41, when he joined Balor in invading the Poran Sector, killed by the then Commander Marcus Baland after killing the Supreme Imperator of the Zero Legion. *'Harbinger Sidaz of the Dead Trail': *'Harbinger Aramon the Plunderer': Aramon was a notable Harbinger, having raided many Imperial Forge Worlds over the millennia. He participated in the Gothic Wars, striking numerous worlds, especially Industrial Worlds and Ports. Aramon's main goal was to steal Abaddon's Planet Killer but was killed by Faleus Octaras, the High Archbishop of the Zero Legion. *'Urkraron the Death Cry': A Null Knight, Urkraron has fully devoted himself to Malice's services. Whenever in battle, Urkraron will focus solely on destroying everything and everyone around him, leaving unspeakable devastation in his path. Entire settlements and armed convoys have been known to be utterly destroyed by his hands. Most notably, Urkraron will target chaos cults or champions dedicated to one of the Four Chaos Gods. He wears Chaos Terminator Armour and carries an Astartes Grenade Launcher in one hand, and the Brullen in another, a one-handed Power Mace that explodes whatever it touches. *'Specter Zel'Drak the Shadowed One': Serving directly underneath Balor, Zel'Drak was once a part of the feared Night Lords before joining the Dark Core. Silent and brooding, Zel'Drak rarely talks, and is said to give a feeling of dread to those in his vicinity. Zel'Drak is able to stalk the battlefield hiding his presence, not revealing himself until it is too late. More importantly, Balor uses Zel'Drak to eliminate those foolish enough who seek to overthrow the Anarchist, or to put fear into the warband's mortal followers and keep them in line. Zel'Drak fights with a pair of Lightning Claws that can cut through Necron metal. *'Specter Inguthal': *'Specter Jinath': A Chaos Terminator, Jinath had been entrusted by Balor to lead the strike force aboard the Silent Dagger, the Escort ship of the Grey Knight Slayer Squad. His followers immediately battled against the surviving Knights, their serfs, the Imperial Storm Troopers and Combat Servitors. Though they managed to kill most of the crew, the traitors were eventuall routed. Jinath himself faced off against the Grey Knight Terminator Thrapheus Ventatanus, both killing one another in an epic duel. *'Specter Manon': *'Igron the Flesh Bane': Once a Veteran Terminator of the Iron Warriors, upon falling under the thrall of Chaos and later joining the Dark Core, Igron was transformed into an Obliterator. He has lost the majority of the flesh that once made up his body, now replaced by warp-tainted metal and his armor fused to his body. His body contains an arsenal of lethal weapons, ranging from Autocannons, Lascannons, Plasma Cannons, Heavy Flamers and Power Fists. Guided by Tyros, Igron now stalks the battlefield in Malice's name, bringing destruction and death to those foolish enough to face him. *'Armos of the Ferocious Wrath': Once a member of the Black Legion, Armos had been sent by Abaddon to assassinate Balor because of his constant sabotage of the Warmaster's plans. Instead Armos' team was killed, the Chaos Champion was forced into a Helbrute Dreadnought and was driven mad. This monster is a one man army, armed with a Power Scourge and a Twin-Linked Lascannon, Armos is let loosed upon the warband's enemies with unrestrained malice. He takes delight in causing carnage upon his foes, his lust for battle and destruction so great that even his comrades keep their distance. And yet they admire his wanton destruction too, taking dark joy at his work. When not in battle, Armos is kept chained and sealed within one of the warband's ships. *'Moros the Life Bane': Very little is known about the one who resides in the Chaos Contemptor Dreadnought. More so if Moros is his true name. However, the Dark Core hold him in reverance, even Balor, professing he is an avatar of Malice. It is indicated that he might have been the first Null Knight. Whatever the case may be, when he is on the battlefield, the warband's forces are inspired to fight harder for their God. Those who stand before him are left strewn corpses thanks to his dual Power Claws with the right having a built in Storm Bolter and the left with a Plasma Blaster. Moros maintenance is overseen by Tyros personally. Non-Astartes Members *'Hzad Jerico': A heretek, Hzad was once a Explorator Magos on an Explorator Fleet, searching for STCs in the Segmentum Pacificus. His fleet had the unfortune of running into the Dark Core forces, who launched themselves at the Mechanicus ships. The void battle went over for two weeks and during that time, Hzad became fascinated by the Daemon Enginers the warband had created. Wanting to learn more, he set up a private meeting with the Warpsmith Tyros. Tyros agreed to teach him if Hzad surrendered his forces to the Dark Core. His curioisty and thirst for knowledge greater than his loyalty, Hzad sold out his warriors and fellow tech-priests without hesitation. Those who followed became a part of the Dark Core, those who did not were killed. Hzad now serves as one of the warband's foremost in technological research. *'Toras Von Makendel': Once a Lord Admiral of the Imperial Navy, Toras turned his back on the Imperium and the Emperor during the 12th Black Crusade. Always one for power and ambition rather than faith and loyalty, Toras eagerly joined the Dark Core, killing those who would not join him. Among the non-astarte, Toras has earned favor from Balor and commands the Dark Cores' fleet under the Overlord and Harbingers. *'Narthal Izzan': A Princep who served the Imperium back during the Great Crusade, Narthal Izzan sided with the traitors during the Horus Heresy. Commanding the Imperator-Class Titan, Purgatorium, Narthal battled on Terra with the other Traitor Titans, before being captured by Balor after Horus was killed. He soon found himself in the service of Malice under the Dark Core warband. Warped by the energies of Chaos and the machinations of Tyros, Narthal and his Moderati have long since fused with their Titan, a twisted union of machine and flesh kept chained in the depths of the Tiamat's Maw, when not in battle. *'Los Va': At an unknown time, the Dark Core managed to bring the Eversor Assassin Los Va into their fold. No records indicate when Los Va had betrayed the Imperium, but it is speculated that the assassin was originally assigned to kill Balor, but failed and was thus turned to their side. Los Va has since been used to sow terror into the enemy's forces, eliminating their commanders and leaders during the warband's campaign of anarchy across the galaxy. *'Fydiaz': Originally an underhive gang leader, Fydiaz was forced from her life when it was discovered she was a psyker. Put into the role of a Primaris Psyker, Fydiaz resented her new position, feeling that her life was not hers to command. Naturally, this caused troubles for her during the Damocles Gulf Crusade when her Imperial Regiment was facing against Tau Forces. During the battle, Fydiaz unleashed her pent up resentment in the form of a powerful psychic blast, killing both enemies and allies alike. She would've been executed by the Regimental Commissar, if the Dark Core had not arrived. Korwalk had led his Brigade along with Tyros under Balor's command, wishing to see the strength of the Tau. Noticing Fydiaz's potential, Korwalk killed the Commissar and offered the psyker a chance to unleash her true potential onto an Imperium that held it back. Fydiaz willingly took the offer, and now serves as the most powerful mortal psyker of the Dark Core. *'Aslax': A Beastman, Aslax was a slave to the Planetary Governor of the Hive World. He was used as an Auxillary with other Beastmen and mutants, sent to deal with uprisings and invaders, seen as nothing more than cannon fodder. For many, the survival rate was a year, two at beast, yet Aslax has been fighting for the Governor for over five years, coming back from each battle stronger than ever, as was his hatred. Eventually, Aslax led a revolt, leading the Auxillaries and other elements in the lower levels of the Hive World against the Planetary Defense Force. The battle was bloody and by the time Aslax took his revenge and killed the Governor, reinforcements of one of the Space Wolves' Great Companies had come. Still Aslax fought on, even killing a Grey Hunter and taking his Power Axe for his own. While many of his comrades were killed, Aslax and a few Beastmen were able to escape offworld and eventually found themselves in the service of the Dark Core. Since then, Aslax has used his looted weapon to kill those who once enslaved him, taking great joy in doing so. Homeworld Eris To the Dark Core, the world Eris serves as their personal home and domain. It is located in Segmentum Pacificus, near the border of Segmentum Obscurus. Eris was once an ancient and advanced human civilization that could have matched some of the Hive Worlds today and naturally joined the Imperium of Man during the Emperor's Great Crusade, brought into the fold by the Luna Wolves. However, when the Horus Heresy began, internal strife and civil war erupted among the populace as nobles and lords fought for control. Lives were lost, lands were laid to waste and cities fell to ruin. Now the planet is a Death World, a wide spread wasteland with only few scants of life. The descendants are divided into various tribes, settlements, bandit groups or mutant clans, focused only on survival. These people possess limited technology, most of which dates back to old Earth, including auto weapons. Furthermore, there have been an increase in Beastmen on the planet, cause by the warband bringing Chaos serving Beastmen to the planet to repopulate and serve in the warband. The Dark Core allow this, as it lets them gather only the strongest to join their forces. The warband are known to the inhabitants and are feared as the tyranical rulers of the planet. Balor rules from the Spire of Pandemonium, a massive fortress built on top of the ruins of what was once the planet's capital. A maze-like structure, filled with gladiatorial arenas, dungeons, sacrificial alters, torture chambers and more, it is a place of nightmares that not even the Sorcerers of Tzeentch can follow it. Warfleet The Dark Core has amassed a massive armada of ships. Many were once under Balor's command during his time as an Adeptus Astarte of the Imperium, before joining Horus' rebels and then separating from the others when retreating from Terra. Over the millennium they have seized many ships, from the fleets of the Loyalist and Traitor Space Marines, Imperial Navy, Rogue Traders, Pirates and so on, along with their crews, forcing them to join their ranks or killing them by ejecting them into space. The warband have also struck Ship Docks and Forge Worlds to acquire ships or the resources needed to build them. The only ones they do not have are Battle Barges and Strike Cruisers. Battleships Battleships are among the strongest of the Dark Core's fleet. Given their size and firepower, Balor awards them to Harbingers and other followers who have served him well. Thus most of the time they serve as the flagships of the warband's individual brigades. *'Gloriana-Class': The Dark Core only has one of these mighty ships. It currently serves as Balor's flagship and is named, Tiamat's Maw. ''It normally stays in the center of the fleet, allowing Balor some protection while still able to get into the fight. *'Despoiler-Class': *'Desolator-Class': *'Desecrator-Class': Cruisers Chaos Cruisers of various types serve among the Dark Core Armada. They are put under the command of the warband's Champions, the Specters. As well as high ranking renegade commanders. They serve as the bulk of the fleet, supporting the Battleships. *'Retaliator Grand Cruiser': *'Repulsive Grand Cruiser': *'Executor Grand Cruiser': *'Furious Grand Cruiser': *'Archeon Heavy Cruiser': *'Hades Heavy Cruiser': *'Hellfire Heavy Cruiser': *'Styx Heavy Cruiser': *'Hecate Heavy Cruiser': *'Carnage Cruiser': *'Devastation Cruiser': *'Murder Cruiser': *'Slaughter Cruiser': *'Inferno Cruiser': *'Hellbringer Light Cruiser': Escort Escort-class ships are numerous among the Dark Core. They serve as bodyguards for the larger ships that carry the Overlord, Harbingers and Specters. Many times they are used as vanguard forces to engage the enemy while the rest of the armada joins in. *'Iconoclast Destroyer': *'Idolator Raider': *'Infidel Raider': *'Soulcage Slaveship': Warband Appearance Warband Colors Chaos Space Marines of the Dark Core warband are primarily colored in black, with the trims, elbows, and edges painted a dark white, both colors used to show the warband's devotion to Malice. The rivets, Chaos Star and horned helmets are a dark golden color. Warband Badge The symbol of the Dark Zone is a white version of the signature Chaos-pointed star. At the center of the star is a black skull. The two colors are the sacred colors of Malice, and is usually placed on the right shoulder plate. Relations ''Feel free to add your own Allies Diablo Feel free to add your own Enemies Forces of Chaos It is not rare for different Chaos Warbands to fight one another, such is the price for those who wish for the favor of their gods. This is no different for the Dark Core, except they willingly engage other forces of Chaos, whether they be Traitor Legion warbands, Chaos Cultists, Daemons, Mutants or Renegade Regiments. This is connect to their god Malice, who opposes the other four Chaos Gods. The Dark Core will steal the prizes of other warbands, robbing them of their sacrifices for their gods to appease Malice, and conduct raids on Traitor Legions, stealing their weapons and armour, and the occasional 'converting' towards the worship of Malice. Most notably are during the Black Crusades, the Dark Core will engage both Chaos and Imperial Forces, slaughtering them all to steal the prize or pulling out once both sides are too wounded to fight back. Balor has on more than one occasion, engaged forces directly under Abaddon, earning the Warmaster's ire. The Four Referring to the four main Chaos Gods: Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle and Slaanesh. As a servant of the Renegade Chaos God Malice, the Dark Core are naturally enemies of these four. They will not hesistate to attack their followers or steal their prizes. This of course as earned the warband the animosity of those who worship them, primarily the World Eaters, Thousand Sons, Death Guard and Emperor's Children Traitor Legions. Notable Quotes Feel free to add your own By the Dark Core Feel free to add your own About the Dark Core Category:Chaos Category:Chaos Space Marines Category:Chaos Warbands